JURORS, witnesses or journalists who cause a criminal trial to collapse could be hit with a bill for millions of pounds under new rules set out last week by ministers.
Amendments to the law will allow a judge or magistrate to order anyone whose “serious misconduct” leads to the abandonment of a criminal case to pay the costs for both sides.
The change applies in magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, and to any part of proceedings from preliminary hearings to sentencing.
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SIMON DAVIS, a dispute resolution partner at Clifford Chance, has won the City of London seat on the Law Society in a contested election. He continues a tradition of Clifford Chance partners at the society, including Michael Mattthews, former president, and George Staple, former head of the Serious Fraud Office.
THE Law Society faces fines of up to £1 million if it fails to deal properly with complaints under government proposals announced last week.